Cable Knit Pumpkin
In this step-by-step knitting tutorial Madeline from Knitting House Square will show you how to knit and assemble a cable knit pumpkin! These pumpkins make the perfect fall decoration and look especially adorable when made in different sizes and stacked.
This video is perfect for advanced beginners who are just learning to knit in the round all the way up to advanced knitters.
If you are looking for a beginner friendly pumpkin to knit, check out my Pumpkin Knit Flat tutorial that was released earlier this week - which does not involve knitting in the round or working cables!
Skill Level: Beginnger to Intermediate
Skills Taught in YouTube Tutorial:
How to join in the round using magic loop
Make 1 Stitch (Increase), KFB (Knit front and back of one stitch)
Cable stitch patterns, including 4 stitch, 6 stitch, and 8 stitch cables
Decreases SSK, K2T, and P2T
Materials
Yarn: Worsted Weight (also called Medium or #4)
Orange: 90 yds (82 m)
Brown: 15 yds (14 m)
Needle: US 8 or 9 (5 or 5.5 mm) 24” or longer Circular Knitting Needle for magic loop (or double pointed needles) Amazon
Additional Materials
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Pumpkin Yarn Combinations
Bulky Weight (#5)
Pumpkin Yarn: Lion Brand Hue + Me in the Artichoke colorway
115 Yards (105 m)
Stem Yarn: Daruma Pom Pom Wool in the #1 colorway (ivory & grey)
11 YARDS (10 m)
Finished Measurements
Diameter: 8.5” (21.6 cm)
Height (excluding stem): 4” (10.2 cm)
Worsted Weight (#4)
Pumpkin Yarn: Vannas Choice in the Terracotta colorway
90 Yards (82 m)
Stem Yarn: Vannas Coice in the Chocolate colorway
8 YARDS (7.3 m)
Finished Measurements
Diameter: 7” (17.8 cm)
Height (excluding stem): 3” (7.6 cm)
DK Weight (#3)
Pumpkin Yarn: K x C Essential Yarn in the Golden Coast colorway
75 yards (69 m)
Stem Yarn: N/A this pumpkin was part of a stack of pumpkins so I did not knit a stem
Finished Measurements
Diameter: 5.5” (14 cm)
Height (excluding stem): 2.5” (6.4 cm)
Abbreviations
KFB: Knit into the front of the next stitch on the left knitting needle, then before sliding the stitch off of the left knitting needle, knit into the back of the same stitch (turns one stitch into two stitch)
M1: Put the left needle underneath the bar in between the stitch just worked and the one about to be worked from front to back, knit into the back of the picked-up bar
* Repeat the pattern displayed between the *s
C6 (Cable 6): Slip the next three stitches onto a cable needle and hold the cable needle in the front of your work, knit the next three stitches from you left knitting needle, knit the three stitches being held on your cable needle
C8 (Cable 8): Slip the next four stitches onto a cable needle and hold the cable needle in the front of your work, knit the next four stitches from you left knitting needle, knit the four stitches being held on your cable needle
C4 (Cable 4): Slip the next two stitches onto a cable needle and hold the cable needle in the front of your work, knit the next two stitches from you left knitting needle, knit the two stitches being held on your cable needle
SSK (slip, slip, knit): Slip one stitch as if to knit from the left to right needle, slip another stitch as if to knit from the left to right needle, pass the two stitches back over to the left needle, knit the two stitches together through the back loop
K2T (knit two together): Insert the right knitting needle through the next two stitches on the left needle as if to knit, knit the two stitches together
P2T (purl two together): Insert the right knitting needle through the next two stitches on the left knitting needle as if to purl, purl the two stitches together
Cast-On & Increases
Cast-On
Cast-on 12 stitches and set up to join in the round. Any stretchy cast-on works including the backward loop, long tail, and German twisted cast-on.
In the YouTube tutorial I show how to join in the round using magic loop.
Increase Set-Up Rounds
Increase Set-Up Round 1: *KFB* repeat between the *s across the row (24 stitches)
Increase Set-Up Round 2: Knit across the round (24 stitches)
Increase Set-Up Round 3: *KFB* repeat between the *s across the row (48 stitches)
Increase Set-Up Round 4: Knit across the round (48 stitches)
Increase Rows
Increase Round 5: *K1, M1, K5, M1, K1, P1, Place the stitch marker* repeat between the *s 6 times (60 stitches)
Increase Round 6: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (60 stitches)
Increase Round 7: *K1, M1, K1, C6, M1, K1, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (72 stitches)
Increase Round 8: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (72 stitches)
Increase Round 9: *K1, M1, K9, M1, K1, P1, Place the stitch marker* repeat between the *s 6 times (84 stitches)
Increase Round 10: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (84 stitches)
Increase Round 11: *K1, M1, K2, C8, K1, M1, K1, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (96 stitches)
Increase Round 12: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (96 stitches)
Increase Round 13: *K1, M1, K13, M1, K1, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Increase Round 14: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Center Rows
Center Round 15: *K5, C8, K4, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Center Round 16: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Center Round 17: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Center Round 18: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Center Round 19: *K5, C8, K4, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Center Round 20: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Center Round 21: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Center Round 22: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Center Round 23: *K5, C8, K4, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Center Round 24: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Center Round 25: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Center Round 26: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Center Round 27: *K5, C8, K4, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Center Round 28: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (108 stitches)
Decrease Rows
Decrease Round 29: *K1, SSK, K11, K2T, K1, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (96 stitches)
Decrease Round 30: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (96 stitches)
Decrease Round 31: *K1, SSK, K1, C8, K2T, K1, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (84 stitches)
Decrease Round 32: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (84 stitches)
Decrease Round 33: *K1, SSK, K7, K2T, K1, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (72 stitches)
Decrease Round 34: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (72 stitches)
Decrease Round 35: *K1, SSK, C6, K2T, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (60 stitches)
Decrease Round 36: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (60 stitches)
Decrease Round 37: *K1, SSK, C4, K2T, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (48 stitches)
Decrease Round 38: *Knit until 1 stitch before the stitch marker, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (48 stitches)
Decrease Round 39: *SSK, SSK, K2T, P2T* repeat between the *s 6 times (24 stitches)
Decrease Round 40: *K3, P1* repeat between the *s 6 times (24 stitches)
Decrease Round 41: *SSK, P2T* repeat between the *s 6 times (12 stitches)
Stem
Cast-on 8 stitches using any cast-on method and join in the round. Leave yourself a cast-on tail that is about 12” (or longer) so that we can use that cast on tail later to curve the stem. .
Knit round after round for 1.5” (3.8 cm).
Stem Increase Round 1: *K1, M1, K1* repeat between the *s across the round (12 stitches)
Stem Increase Round 2: Knit across the round (12 stitches)
Stem Increase Round 3: *K1, M1* repeat between the *s across the round (24 stitches)
Stem Increase Round 4: Knit across the round (24 stitches)
Stem Increase Round 5: *K1, M1* repeat between the *s across the round (48 stitches)
Cast-off all stitches.
Finishing
Step 1: Cut 3 strands of yarn, each approximately 24” (61 cm) long.
Starting at the cast off side, use the tapestry needle to weave the strand of yarn down one column of purl stitches all the way down to the cast on edge, then weave the strand of yarn up the opposite column of purl stitches (cast on to cast off edge). Repeat this process 2 additional times through the other columns of purl stitches.
Step 2: Use the tapestry needle to weave the cast-on tail through the stitches around the cast-on edge, pull tight to close the circle, tie a knot to secure, and weave in the end. (Figure 2)
Step 3: Fill the pumpkin with poly-fil to your desired firmness. (see Figure 3)
Step 5: Use the cast-off tail of the stem to sew the stem to the pumpkin. (See figure 6) To get the stem to bend a little, thread the stem’s cast-on tail down through the stem and pull tighter. Tie a knot to secure and weave in the ends. (see Figure 7)
Step 4: Tighten the cast-off tail to close the top circle and tie a knot to secure. (see Figure 4)
Tie each of the three strands at the cast off edge together tightly, creating the lines in the pumpkin. (see Figure 5)
Weave the pumpkin cast-on, pumpkin cast-off, and added tails to the inside of the pumpkin.
